I love to make cinnamon ornaments. Mix 1-1/2 cups cinnamon, 1/2 tsp each cloves and ginger, and enough natural applesauce to make a thick mass (my sister in law puts a tablespoon of tacky glue in hers) pat out to about 1/4 inch thick on cinnamon dusted wax paper, cut out with holiday cookie cutters and let dry - don't forget to take a straw and poke a hole at the top for the string. I use my dehydrator to dry them and my sister in law uses a low (250) oven and places the ornaments on a rack on a cookie sheet until dry. Mmmmmm they smell sooo good and compliment the organic popcorn strings "peppered" with cranberries. I absolutely love decorating with natural things - dried citrus slices, cinnamon sticks, pine cones,ect... not just for trees anymore. I can't wait to pull out the holiday decorations on the 25th of November and begin the transformation.

I have done the cinnamon ornaments also. Being too lazy at the time (fatigue as an after-affect from stroke sustained during a chiropractic treatment), I simply rolled them into balls and suspended them from a pretty ribbon or string. They smell divine after all these years, but I will admit the kids called them 'cinnamon poop on a string' for years ;)

Hello Debra,

I was looking for some natural ornaments and found these beautiful gourdes from Peru. I thought you would love these biodegradable ornaments.

thanks for such a great newsletter.

I wish you great holidays and please continue your outstanding work on educating all of us!

http://www.oneworldprojects.com/products/xmas_peru_gourd.shtml

This is my first year on my own after living for several years with others who did the traditional Christmas decorating. I wanted to do something different this year to reflect my interest in sustainable living, so...

I bought a small rosemary "tree" (a rosemary plant cut in the shape of a Christmas tree). I love the smell of rosemary (I rub the plant every time I walk by it), and I'll be able to use the herbs in cooking.

I thought of purchasing lights to string up indoors, but instead I opted to buy some beeswax candles, which I have placed on a deep window ledge and light every evening once it gets dark. I take time to sit and just enjoy their light every night.

I cut paper into four-inch squares and made myself several snowflakes. It took me a while to figure out how to make just the right intricate snips to get the shape I wanted, but I kept all of my "attempts," and in the end they looked fantastic put up all together in my window.

I found a Christmas tree farm who can ship!

www.shadyresttreefarm.com

Their white Pines are pesticide free. They don’t have any insects that bother them.

Their Fraser Fir were last sprayed with Dimethoate in the spring to control Balsam twig aphids for 2008.

They use FedEx for shipping. Shipping and handling is included in the price. The tree is shipped in a box. All trees are mechanically shaken before boxing to remove loose needles.

I have not ordered from them yet, but I wanted to share the info.

In NC, they are trying to develop organic Chirstmas tree farmers, but they said it will take a few to several more years before we see them on the market.

My family has always bought living Christmas trees. Then we plant it after New Year's. We still have our Christmas trees from the 70's, much bigger now but still happy and growing. I recommend living trees if you don't mind having a smaller tree for Christmas. Just be careful of heavy ornaments, make sure it's in a cooler corner of your home and most of all keep it watered well. I don't usually put lights on them, but I'm sure the LED kind is fine. Sometimes I get one larger one and one smaller one for another room so I can hang more ornaments. Also, when you get ready to plant it, make sure you give the tree a few days in a greenhouse, on a patio or deck or just outside your home in a weather protected area so it won't be shocked by the sudden temperature change.